As Tony Bennett once said, “I don’t make hit albums; I make hit catalogues”
Keyboardist and composer Tobin Mueller could put that on his tombstone, as he’s released a series of albums that never top any charts, but some day will be looked back on and appreciated for the fun and funky vibe they emit. This album is a 21 song “Best Of”, and is a great way to get acquainted with this guy that makes tunes like they were woven for The Brecker Brothers.
Like all anthologies, the bands vary, but there are a few guys that keep popping up. Most often is the 3 inch steak beefy tenor sax of Woody Mankowksi, wailing over Mueller’s piano on “Saddle Shoe Sally “ and blowing Romeo & Juliet smoke rings with a punchy sax section with Mueller’s humming Hammond B3 on the funky “Forrest’s Fire”. The two even make up the whole band on the creative “Windowshade” while the soprano saxist shows he can also play well with others on the Average White Band-sounding punchout ‘I Wanna Fly”. Bass icon Ron Carter sits in for a hip intro to the jam feel of “Frankenfanny” with Mankowski’s moody soprano and Mueller’s dark keys, with Carter and Mueller digging into the blues on the duet of “Grandfather Clock”. Sweet toned singer Angela Hope bops with ease on “Seafood Gumbo” and trumpeter Carl Fischer gets splashy on the synth pulsed “Acid Hopping”. This guy plays more angles than a musical Rubik’s Cube.
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